News

﻿﻿June

Education in the Digital AgeThe pros and cons of online classes, the worrying gap in young people’s Internet skills, and a dramatic increase in preschool iPad use were just a few of the topics broached during IPR’s May 19 policy research briefing on Capitol Hill.

Faculty Spotlight: Mesmin Destin
IPR social psychologist Mesmin Destin seeks out interventions to guide high schoolers, middle schoolers, and first-generation college students and that will help address inequities they might face.

Biology and BeyondAt IPR's Cells to Society: The Center for Social Disparities and Health, interdisciplinary scholars are decoding complex social impacts on genes and exploring dynamic new models of human development.

The Economics of Human DevelopmentOn April 27, more than 180 faculty, students, and members of the public gathered to hear James Heckman, a Nobel laureate and University of Chicago economist, speak about his game-changing work on human potential as the IPR Spring 2015 Distinguished Public Policy Lecturer.

Encouraging Interdisciplinary DialogueThe ninth annual Chicago Area Political and Social Behavior (CAB) Workshop previewed some cutting-edge social and political science research to the 80-plus faculty and graduate students at Northwestern University on May 8.

To Reduce Incarceration, Recognize HumanityHarvard sociologist Bruce Western, who has pioneered research on America’s “prison boom,” described the latest research findings in the field, depicted the struggles of former prisoners, and pointed to mass incarceration’s pernicious and widespread effects during the Social Inequality and Difference Lecture on May 7.

Saying No to ACA Medical Expansion Costs States MoneyTwenty-one states have opted not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), arguing that the expansion would be too expensive. But according to new research by IPR economist Matthew Notowidigdo, the cost to hospitals from uncompensated care in those states roughly equals the cost of Medicaid expansion.

Is Bipartisanship Dead? Research on Congress’ rising polarization has only looked at half the picture, IPR political scientist Laurel Harbridge argues in her new book, Is Bipartisanship Dead? Policy Agreement and Agenda-Setting in the House of Representatives.

Improving the Transition to a Tough PositionBeing a school principal is a difficult job—and one that often has a steep learning curve. In an article in Educational Administration Quarterly, education professor and IPR associate James Spillane, with the University of Texas at Austin’s Linda Lee, examines what new principals face when transitioning into their positions.

The New Forgotten Half IPR education researcher James Rosenbaum served as one of the authors of “The New Forgotten Half and Research Directions to Support Them,” a new report commissioned by the William T. Grant Foundation on young people who pursue, but do not complete, their higher education. He also took part in a May 1 discussion on the report.

﻿March

The High Cost of Stereotypes
Stereotype threat—when one group suffers from a societal stereotype cast over their abilities—“happens everywhere,” said social psychologist Claude Steele during a February 4 keynote lecture at Northwestern. At IPR, an interdisciplinary cadre of researchers continue to push this field into new territory, detailing the effects of stereotypes, as well as pointing to potential interventions for addressing them.

Faculty Spotlight: Alice Eagly
Although the era of second-wave feminism had visible political successes sand challenges, psychological research wasn’t initially a robust part of the conversation. IPR social psychologist Alice Eagly was among a group of scholars who sought to change that.

Women in Mali Save, Invest, with No Banks Nearby
The newest and most popular saving and lending programs in Mali are “savings groups,” where women contribute money to a group fund and then collectively decide if they should loan money from the fund to other members of the group. In a recent IPR working paper, IPR economist Lori Beamanand her co-authors evaluate the impact of these savings groups on reducing poverty.

Subtle Discrimination Harms, Too
In a recent IPR working paper, IPR psychobiologist Emma Adam, IPR social psychologist Jennifer Richeson, several IPR graduate research assistants, and their colleagues consider whether experiences of perceived racial and ethnic discrimination during adolescence and young adulthood affect how bodies react to stress later in life.

Faculty Spotlight: Diane Whitmore SchanzenbachMajoring in economics seemed like a natural fit for Schanzenbach, a native of Florissant, Mo., During her education in schools attended by students from both sides of the socioeconomic spectrum, she honed her talent for math and nurtured her passion for helping the less privileged.

When Should Vaccines Be Mandated?
What to do in the event of an Ebola scare or a measles outbreak? Deciding on the right course of action when it comes to vaccines is difficult because officials are working in an environment of “partial knowledge”—that is, they can point to some of a vaccine’s effects, but not all. IPR economist Charles F. Manski addresses this topic in a recent IPR working paper.

Can Microfinance Save the Poor?
Microfinance institutions (MFIs), which extend small loans to impoverished households in developing countries, have exploded over the past 10–15 years. Yet do MFIs actually spur business growth, empower women, and lift families out of poverty? A team of researchers including IPR economist Cynthia Kinnan undertakes the first randomized evaluation of a microcredit lending model in Hyderabad, India, with surprising results.

The Bright Side of AgingIn the United States, the number of people over the age of 65 has more than tripled since 1950, and declining birth rates and rising life expectancies means populations will continue to gray worldwide. Such news has worried some, explained IPR associate and developmental psychologist Claudia Haase, due to patterns of decline in functioning. Though one might assume that such patterns hold for all aspects of age-related functioning, Haase and her colleagues have uncovered “a bright side” to aging.

Can Breastfeeding Reduce Chronic Inflammation?
A body plagued by chronic inflammation is at increased risk for a host of diseases and poor health conditions. Yet little is known about how early life conditions can have an impact on chronic inflammation in adulthood. In a recent article, IPR anthropologist Thomas McDade, IPR developmental psychobiologist Emma Adam, pediatrician and IPR associate Craig Garfield and their research team examine the link between breastfeeding and inflammation in adults.

Are Most Published Research Findings False?The Anti-False-Positives (AFP) movement demands more stringent guidelines for researchers and journals to minimize false positives in scientific data. But in their race to rectify the issue, the AFP movement has “overreached,” social psychologist and IPR associate Eli Finkel and his colleagues—the University of Texas at Austin’s Paul Eastwick and Harry Reis of the University of Rochester—argue in a new article.

﻿﻿January

Research Traces Effects of Partisanship on American Politics
In the 114th Congress, sworn in last week, Republicans now hold their largest majority since 1928. Following the November election, House speaker John Boehner (R–OH) called for more bipartisan cooperation. Will senators, representatives, and even the president comply—or will Congress remain polarized, uncooperative, and unpopular? Congress’ actions serve to underscore the fact that partisanship (including bias in favor of one’s own party) and polarization have become deeply rooted in American politics. Several IPR political scientists have projects that investigate this phenomenon of growing polarization and partisanship in Congress, in the White House, and in the public sphere.

Faculty Spotlight: James Rosenbaum
Those outside of academia sometimes accuse researchers of working in an ivory tower—of offering policy solutions that sound good on paper, but result in little real-world impact. IPR education researcher James Rosenbaum was determined to be a different kind of researcher. “My goal has really been to make research that can be helpful in the policy world,” Rosenbaum said. Throughout his career, he has led studies that have had important implications for improving outcomes for U.S. students and the disadvantaged.

Racial Disparities in America, Part II
In the second part of the series, IPR researchers outline some ideas for addressing and thinking about racial disparities stemming from their research on race, education, and neighborhoods. Part I looked at IPR research on interracial relations and racial disparities in health outcomes.

Online "Turbulence": Who Experiences the Bumpiest Ride?
In a world where social network sites allow us to share information with hundreds of people in mere seconds, it is not surprising that some Internet users experience “turbulence”—times when their personal information is distributed beyond their desired or intended social circles with negative consequences. But who is more likely to encounter such online turbulence? Communications studies researcher and IPR associate Eszter Hargittai and graduate student Eden Litt look for answers in a recent study.

Understanding Immigrant Sexual Citizenship
Issues of immigration and of gay rights continue to make American headlines, yet “there’s been very little public attention to the ways that issues of immigration and issues of sexuality might actually have something to do with one another,” said sociologist and IPR associate Steven Epstein. Recently, Epstein, along with sociologist and IPR associate Héctor Carrillo and their research team, interviewed gay and bisexual male Mexican immigrants about their experiences as immigrants to the United States.

Improving Earthquake Maps to Save Lives, Minimize Damages
In 2011, the 9.0-magnitude Tohoku earthquake and its resulting tsunami killed more than 15,000 people and caused nearly $300 billion in damages. The shaking from the earthquake was significantly larger than Japan’s national hazard map had predicted, devastating areas forecasted to be relatively safe. Such hazard-mapping failures prompted three Northwestern researchers—geophysicist and IPR associate Seth Stein, IPR statistician Bruce Spencer, and graduate student Edward Brooks—to search for better ways to construct, evaluate, and communicate the predictions of hazard maps.

Teaching ABCs in a Digital Classroom
From federal and local tax dollars to finance “one-on-one” classrooms, where each student has a tablet or laptop, to technology-related grants from donors like the Gates Foundation, millions of dollars for technology in classrooms are being funneled into K-12 schools across the country. Yet, as existing research points out, though more is being spent on classroom technology, its successful integration into lesson plans is another matter. Communication studies researcher and IPR associate Ellen Wartella and her colleagues are examining this puzzling relationship.